Apple has opened its first research and development center worth 300 million Yuan ($45 million) in Beijing, China. The center, which is located in Zhongguancun Science Park, is the company's latest attempt to reverse its declining sales in the country.

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A statement released by the Zhongguancun Park Management Committee confirmed that Apple has set up its first research and

The announcement was made on Weibo on Thursday. "This is the first R&D Center that Apple has directly invested in China. In the future, this R&D center will be dedicated to researching and developing in the areas of computer hardware and software, telecommunications, video and audio equipment, consumer electronic products, information technology and other advanced technologies," the statement said.

Zhongguancun, Beijing's Silicon Valley, is a technology hub well-known in China for its affiliation with many local prestigious academies. It boasts of up to 20,000 technology companies. Located in the Haidian District, in north-western Beijing, the area is home to research centers for several big names in the tech companies, including Google, Intel, AMD, Sony, and Microsoft.

According to a press release from the management of the Zhongguancun Park, Apple's new facility has registered a capital of $15 million, with its total investment expected to touch a $45 million mark in the near future. There will be a total of 500 staff at the location. Apple's R&D facility would be completed in 2016. It is expected to combine Apple's engineering and business units to boost regional sales and services.

Apple has refused to comment when asked about its new center in China. Instead, the company pointed to a statement it made in August which said that it could create a new R&D center in China.